I wanted to have the same Strat experience that many other musicians have had over the years. American made, and proudly so. Although I expected fine fit and finish, the quality of the finish is just amazing. A lovely shine, and looks like it is quite strong. As for the sound, it is everything I expected. The frets are slightly farther apart than I am used to and that is taking some adjustment. The controls provide quite a range of tone, and I am still discovering new tones I like. As with my other guitars, this Strat only plays as well as the musician, on the other hand it does not seem to introduce difficulty. I should not have been surprised at the ease of bending the strings.

The detail work such as the ends of the frets is fantastic, everything is smooth. I dislike my fingers encountering sharp spots while fretting, but this just isn't happening with this guitar.

I also judge electric guitars on the basis of how they resonate without being plugged in. Just how much sustain and so on. An electric guitar should be a guitar first before amplification. I can play this guitar without plugging in and hear it very clearly, then once you plug it in, that patented Fender sound pops out and you start dreaming about the sounds you can make.

I got the Aztec gold model and I think you either love it or hate it. I love it. I recently got the two tone V neck model and this one shares the great pickups, the added spice of the S1 switching, the modern locking tuners, great solid saddles and tremelo for enjoyable playing. I can't see why anyone would prefer vintage hardware. I have a Jimmy Vaughan strat with vintage hardware and I see why they evolved different stuff... it is BETTER. Single-ply 8 screw pickguards are lousy. IMHO And locking tuners are a MAJOR improvement. This guitar was perfect for playing when I took it out of its case and I still haven't made up my mind whether I prefer the V neck or the C neck. I think it might just depend on what style I'm playing. I will say that I was interested to see how the multiple radius fretboard performed and happily both my American Deluxes are easy to play and string bending is nice and smooth. If you are strat person like me I can't see how you wouldn't enjoy the AM DLX. This is a quality instrument with great woods, hardware, electronics and best of all it is a Fender strat!

I bought my first new Strat in 1963..Back then , Fender only made 1 Strat..I already have one 2012 Am Deluxe Strat just like this one except for color..But the Gold really caught my eye.. The gold paint, gold pick guard, with maple neck is VERY eye catching.. The finish is excellant..The setup out of the box was good..I no longer have the 1963 Strat, but I feel this one is better in just about everyway..The N3 pickups do sound a bit different than the standard single coils..Better or worse? , thats a matter of personal preference..They do maintain the traditional Strat sound..The S1 switch gives lots of varity on tone..I own 12 guitars but I keep coming back to the Strats..For me, the sound/tone and varity with 3 pickups makes them my guitar of choice..

If you are familiar with American Deluxe Stratocasters in 2012 this is exactly what you have here, with a special limited run color/pick guard.

The real attraction here is the Aztec Gold and the Anodized gold pickguard and backplate. The finish was absolutely flawless and the sheen off of every part of the body was consistent and very bright. This finish is absolutely gorgeous and unique.

The guitar plays just like an American Deluxe. The price is admittedly high for a Stratocaster but this is not a garden variety "strat". This is basically the top of the line production model. I have three of these from as far back as 1990 (it was called "Plus-Ultra" then) and I love each one. I have purchased two of these from Musicians Friend and they have been delivered well set up and in flawless condition.

ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE AZTEC GOLD BODY AND THE METALLIC GOLD PICK GUARD AND BACKPLATE: It is a thing of beauty to behold AND beauty is very subjective. My wife even likes it (!), I would have preferred gold hardware as well but that's just nit picking. Be aware that I completely understand that many would find this body finish and metal pickguard tacky. Buyer Beware. Make sure you think this is for you. It is a very hard clearcoat 'flake gold finish and the metal pickguard really stands out. I LOVE IT !!